The head coach of the Cameroonian team, Marc Brys, has revealed the deep reasons behind his loyalty to his assistant, Joachim Mununga, which led him to consider resignation just a few weeks ago after yet another underhanded move by the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot).
On October 11, following the Indomitable Lions’ impressive 4-1 victory over Kenya in Yaoundé, Brys threatened to step down. The issue: Joachim Mununga, his main assistant within the unified staff formed after reconciliation between Fecafoot and the Ministry of Sports, was not listed on the match sheet.
“I am extremely angry… Everything was going well, everyone was making compromises, and it was working. But I was shocked to find that, on the match commissioner’s list, my assistant wasn’t included. Once again, they made this decision behind my back, setting up the list without my assistants. I assure you, if this happens again, I’ll resign immediately!” the coach declared in the post-match press conference. Despite this warning, Fecafoot repeated the exclusion of his assistant for the return leg (0-1). Ultimately, following a request from the players, Brys decided not to follow through with his resignation threat.
Brys-Mununga: A Bond Built on Trust
In a recent interview, less than a month before the final team gathering of the year, Marc Brys shared the reasons behind his loyalty to Joachim Mununga, the Belgian-Cameroonian. Their bond deepened during the period when Mununga, then in his thirties, played under Brys at Mechelen. “Before becoming my assistant, Joachim was first one of my players,” Brys explained, as reported by the specialized account AllezLesLions. “In the beginning, our relationship was tense, but he is a young man with character and humility. That’s why I made him captain. We later reconnected in Turkey, and we stayed in touch throughout his career until the day I decided to bring him on as my assistant.”
“In football, having trustworthy colleagues around you is essential. That’s the case with Joachim, who has become an excellent technician,” Brys continued, highlighting the former striker’s experience. “Joachim holds the highest coaching diploma from FIFA. Like me, he has a UEFA Pro License, and as an assistant coach, he has accumulated 186 professional matches in Belgium’s top division by the age of just 36. Today, we work together with the Lions, and he is an indispensable member of the technical staff.”
Although Brys reconsidered his decision once at the request of the team leaders, he may follow through on his threat this time if Fecafoot deals him another blow. Stay tuned…
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